Machine for circumferential color coding wire

ABSTRACT

A wire coding machine wherein the wire is moved along a path while being rotated about its axis in contact with an ink carrier moving at the same lineal speed as the wire so as to apply a circumferential ink band around the wire at the area of contact with the ink carrier.

United States Patent [1 1 Swaisgood Oct. 23, 1973 1 MACHINE FOR CIRCUMFERENTIAL COLOR CODING WIRE [75] lnventor: Ralph I-l. Swaisgood, Fort Collins,

[73] Assignee: Storm Products Company, Los

Angeles, Calif.

[22] Filed: July 2, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 51,815

[52] US. Cl .118/44, 118/219, 118/221, 118/234, l18/DIG. 21 [51] Int. Cl B056 l/08, B050 1/16, B05c 11/26 [58] Field of Search 118/221, 219, 234,

118/218, DIG. 20, DIG. 21, DIG. 22, 44,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1965 Dodge 118/D1G. 21

3,529,571 9/1970 Good 118/219 X 2,476,298 7/1949 Heizeri... 118/234 2,525,997 10/1950 Beier [18/234 X 2,601,394 6/1952 Hansen 57/34 UX 2,637,658 5/1953 Miller [18/234 X 2,731,069 1/1956 Horn 57/35 X 2,842,932 7/1958 Owens 57/35 3,043,721 7/1962 Burns 118/221 X 3,570,450 3/1971 Geating 1.18/221 Primary Examiner-John P. McIntosh Att0rney-Anderson, Spangler and Wymore [5 7] ABSTRACT A wire coding machine wherein the wire is moved along a path while being rotated about its axis in contact with an ink carrier moving at the same lineal speed as the wire so as to apply a circumferential ink band around the wire at the area of contact with the ink carrier.

5 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures PATENTEUBET23 ms 3,766,883

sum 10F 55 56 58 6O 5 34 O 3O 92 5 1 2O FIG. I

INVENTOR RALPH H. SWAISGOOD ATTORNEYS PAIENTEUums m 3,768,883

SHEET 30F 5 INVENTOR RALPH H. SWAISGOOD FIG. IO M, 9%

AT TORNE YS minimums m3 3 766883 FIG. I!

INVENTOR RALPH H. SWAISGOOD AT TORNE YS PAIENIEUnmza ms 3766383 sum 5 m 5 INVENTOR. RALPH H. SWAISGQOD ATTORNEYS MACHINE FOR CIRCUMFERENTIAL COLOR CODING WIRE This invention relates to apparatus for applying indicia to the exterior of a continuously moving length of material such as wire, bar, tape and the like and more particularly to a machine for applying color coded bands to a length of insulated wire for identification purposes.

There has long been a need for a machine which would provide high speed and accuracy in the applying of color coded bands on wire so that it may be identified as to wire number, type, size and other qualities. The marking must appear at frequent intervals along the length of the wire so that even very short lengths carry the appropriate identification.

It is highly desirable that the color code bands applied to the wire be completely around the wire so that regardless of the positioning of the wire the bands will be visible. It is also desirable that the bands of color be of a width alongthe lineal length of the wire marked to provide ready visibility of the markings. V I

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a wire color band coding apparatus for the application of circumferential color bands to the insulation of a wire at selected intervals along the length therof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for the application of color band coding on wire at a high rate of speed without throwing ink.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for the application of color band coding on wire of relatively large diameter and to provide color bands of substantial width along the lineal length of. the wire. i

a A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the character describedwhich generally includes a means for rotating the wire about its longitudinal axis through at least 360 while contacting at least one marking device therewith at a position therealong for applying amark to the wire as it is rotated. v

It is a furtherobject of the present ivention to provide an apparatus of relatively simple construction, efficient in operation and easily maintained.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had .to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and its scope will beset forth in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG.,2 is a sectional view along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view to an enlarged scale of FIG. 1 with portions broken away to conserve space and being partly in section; 7

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the wire rotating means of FIG. 1 to an enlarged scale and partly in section;

FIG. 5 is a side view from the left side of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view, partly in section, along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view along line 7-7 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of the power train of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a view to an enlarged scale of an inking wheel with parts broken away to conserve space;

FIG. 10 is another embodiment of an inking wheel; FIG. 11 is a schematic representation of still another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is an inking wheel of still another design; and, FIGS. 13 and 14 are illustrations of another embodiment of the wire rotating means especially suited to heavy gauge wire.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 8 wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several Figures; the wire marking machine is generally identified by numeral 10 which comprises a base member 12 having upstanding walls 14 and 16 attached thereto by suitable means with wall 14 forming the front of the housing for the gear train arrangement. A cover member 18 having a U-shaped cut outfits over the walls and provides for access to the interior of the housing. Walls 14 and 16 are parallel to each other and inclined slightly from the normal with respect to base 12. Walls are held in fixed parallel relation by means of spacers 20.

Shaft 22 passes through and is journalled in bearings mounted on walls 14 and 16 with shaft 22 being essentially parallel to base 12. Shaft 22 has a star shaped wheel 24 mounted on the front end thereof in front of wall 14. The rear end of shaft 22 is fitted with a gear pulley 26. To the far right of base 12 is provided a shaft support 28 comprised of upstanding front, rear and side walls. Shaft 30 is journalled for rotation in the front and rear walls and that portion of the shaft 30 projecting forwardly from support 28 has a star wheel 32 and a pulley 34 mounted thereon. A gear pulley 36 is mounted on the portion of shaft 30 projecting rearwardly from support 28.'Pulley 36 is operatively connected to pulley 26 by means of notched belt 38. Near the left end of wall 14, a shaft 40 is journalled for rota tion therein. The portion of shaft projecting forward of wall 14 has a pulley 42 mountedthereon and the end of shaft 40 projecting rearwardly of wall 16 has a sprocket wheel 44 mounted thereon positioned to be inside housing l8. Shaft 40 has a portion that extends rearwardly beyondhousing '18 on which gear pulley 46 is mounted. Gear. pulley'46 is operatively connected to pulley 26 by-means of notched belt 48. A plurality of horizontally aligned shafts 50,552 and 54 are journalled for rotation in walls 14 and 16 withthe portions of shafts 50, 52 and 54 projecting forwardly of wall 14' having inking wheels 56, 58 and 60 mounted thereon.

The portions of shafts 50, 52 and 54 projecting rearwardly of wall 16 have toothed gear wheels 62, 64 and 66 mounted thereon. Another line of shafts aligned in a horizontal line is positioned above shafts 50, 52 and 54 and journalled for rotation in walls 14 and 16. These are shafts 68,70 and 72. The portions of shafts 68, 70

and 72 which project rearwardly of wall 16 have small 2 gears 74, 76 and 78 mounted thereon whose teeth mesh with the teeth of gears 62 64 and .66 with gear 76 meshing with teeth of both gears 62 and 64 and gear 78 meshing with teeth of both gears 64 and 66. Shaft 70 22 are turned via belt 38. In turn, belt 48 turns pulley 1 44 and shaft 40, turning sprocket 46 which drives sprocket 80 and shaft 70 through chain 82. Shaft 70 drives gear 76, driving gears 62 and 64 on shafts 50 and 52. Gear 62 then drives gear 74 and shaft68. Gear 64 drives gear 78 and shaft 72 which drives gear 66 and shaft 54.

The lower edge of the wire contacting groove of pulley 42 and pulley 84 mounted on the forward end of shaft 68, the tops of inking wheels 56, 58 and 60, the lowermost points of star wheel 24 and 32 are all positioned along the straight line path to be followed by a wire 86 to be coded. Extending to the left of base 12 is an idler arm 88 which is secured to base 12 by suitable means such as block 90.The outer end of idler arm 88 supports an idler pulley 92. The wire 86 comes up through B a hole in base 12 near the right hand end thereof, around pulleys 92 and 94 on the right side of support 28, over pulley 34, down and around pulley 96 on the front of support 28, back around pulley 34 and across the top of pulley 42 around pulley 92 on arm 88, back underneath pulleys 4 2 and 84 in contact with ink ing wheels 56, 58 and 60, beneath-star wheels 24 and 32 and thenupward for spooling and storage as at 98. The wire 86 may be pulled through the marking apparatus by the spooling through the belt 38 and the power train, however, it is preferred that a booster motor, not shown, be connected to shaft 30 which will provide only enough power thereto to offset the frictional losses in the drive train. A suitable motor is a hysteresissynchronous motor which will providea predetermined amount of torque but will not be damaged while being in a stalled condition for long periods of time. Thus with a booster motor, a minimum amount of tension is required in the spooling operation to move the wire through the machine.

At the left end of base 12, an upstanding wall 100 is provided to which is mounted an electric motor 102 by bolts 104. The motor is shown with the rotary shaft 106 thereof in a vertical position. Immediately below motor 106 are two horizontally positioned brackets 108 and 110 mounted on wall 100 in spaced parallel relation and secured thereto by bolts 112 and 114. Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 4 through 7, the brackets 108 and 110 have mounted adjacent the free-end thereof a pair of dove-tailed slides 1 16 and 1 18 with the fixed portio'n 116a and 118a thereof being secured to the opposed surfaces of brackets 108 and 110 by means of bolts ,120 and the like. The movable portions 116b and 118k of the slides 116 and 118 are secured to the fixedportions against relative vertical movement by dovetails 1l6c and l18c while permitting relative horizontal movement along the dovetail. Shaft 106 of motor 102 has mounted thereon for rotaion therewith a bushing 122 having two offset bearings 124 and 126 'on the exterior thereof, vertically displaced and out of phase with each other by 180. A connecting arm 128 has bearing 124 journalled for rotation in one end thereof and the other end of arm 128 is attached by means of bolt 130 to lug 132 attached to one end of the movableportion 1l6b of slide 116. A roller support bracket 134 is attached to the other end of the movable portion ll6b of slide 116 by means of bolt 136. The roller support bracket 134 has a horizontally positioned shaft 138 on which roller 140 is mounted for rotary movement. Shaft 138 is connected to bracket 134 for pivotal movement about horizontal pivot pin 142.

' Another connecting arm 144 has bearing 126 journalled for rotation therein at one end and the other end is connected to one end of the movable portion 118b of slide 118 by means of a bolt 146 to lug 148. A roller support bracket 150 is attached to the other end of the movable portion 118!) of slide 118 by means of bolt 152. Support bracket has a horizontally positioned shaft 154 on which idler 156 is mounted for substantially free rotary movement. Rollers 140 and 156 may conveniently be of metal and the like and have an elastomer coating on the roller surface or preferably be uncoated with the surface having a predetermined roughness characteristic as produced by sandblasting for the purpose to be explained. The outer ends of shaft 138 and 154 are under spring bias by means of spring 158 biasing the opposing surfaces of rollers 138 and 154 together. Rollers 138 and 154 are positioned to lie in the path of the wire 86 to be marked which is passed between the opposing surfaces of the rollers and as the wire passes between the rollers, the reciprocating movement of slides 116 and 118 as driven by the eccentricity of the bearings 124 and 126 imparts reciprocal rotary motion to the wire about its own longitudinal axis of at least 360 substantially devoid of any radial displacement causing the wire to be rotated at least one complete revolution for a substantial distance down stream of the rollers and beyond the positioning of the marking wheels. Inking wheels 56, 58 and 60' are positioned downstream of rollers 140 and 156. Immediately beneath marking wheels 56, 58 and 60 are positioned ink reservoirs 160, 162 and 164, having marking ink therein at a level 166 therein such that the marking elements 56a and 580 are submerged therein as the wheels 56 and 58 are rotated. Thus the ink coated element is moved in contact with the axially rotated wire at the same lineal speed and transfers ink thereto in the form of a circumferential band 166. The following inking wheels are phased such that the marks 168 applied to wire 86 thereby are separated from the other marks along the length thereof. The fingers 24a of star wheel 24 sized such as to maintain the wire in contact with the elements of the ink wheels and spaced to contact the wire in between the ink marks.

Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a generally U- shaped wire guide 169 secured within bores 170 and 172 in brackets 108 and 110 by screws 174 and 176. e

A portion of one leg of guide 169 is involuted and provides a vertical slot 178 opening upward and aligned to receive the wire 86 therein. As the rollers 140 and 156 are reciprocated, the wire 86 is rotated as it is being pulled through the machine and ink bands are applied by ink wheels 56, 58 and 60. To facilitate handling of the marked wire, a tubular heater 178 is provided down stream of star wheel 24 through which the wire 86 passes and the ink is dried by the heat generated.

FIG. 10 illustrates another form the inking wheel may take. The wheel 180 is in the form of a circular disc having plurality of radial bores 182 in the periphery. In

each bore there is positioned an ink storing wick or inking element 184. The wicks 184'may be impregnated with ink of all the same color or each wick may be impregnated with inks of different colors stored within bores 182 and wicked to the wire contacting tips of wicks 184. FIG. 12 shows still another embodiment of the inking wheel wherein the wheel 186 is provided with a plurality of holes 187 positioned in peripherally spaced relation and aligned with the axis of revolution of the wheel. In each hole there is positioned an inking device or pen 188 having an inking element 190 of the wicking variety communicating with an ink reservoir containing ink, each of which reservoir may contain ink of the same or different colors.

FIG. 11 is a schematic of a simplified arrangement of the present invention. Wire 192 is spooled off of a spool 194 by means of a motor 196 driving take-up spool 198. The wire passes around pulley .200 which is operatively connected to an ink wheel 202. The wire then passes around a pulley 204 and along a vertical path between rollers 140 and 156 which rotary oscillate the wire about its axis and in contact with ink wheel 202 which applies a band of ink thereto. The wire then passes through a tubular heater178 and around pulley 206 and onto spool 198. Several ink wheels could, of course, be provided to produce plural marks on the wire. 1 r

' Referring now to FIGS. 13 and 14, there is shown another embodiment of a wire rotating means especially suited to the rotation of heavier gauge :wires. The twister 208 comprises a tubular member 210 journalled for rotation at its ends in pillow blocks 212 and 214. The tube 210 has a gear 216 mounted'thereon which is meshed with an oscillatory drive, not shown, adapted to rotate the tube 210 abouti'ts axis through preferably greater than one revolution before reversing and rotating the tube greater than one revolution in the opposite direction. This oscillatory motion is imparted to the tubular member 210 and to a wire 218 passing therethrough. The tube 210 has a pair of side plates 220 and 222' fastened to either side thereof by suitable means with the ends of the side plates to one side of the tube supporting a freely rotatable pulley 224. The tube has a slot 226 cut in the side thereof between the side plates facing the pulley and the periphery of the pulley is received within the slot such that the center line of tube 210 is essentially tangent with the groove of the pulley. The other ends of side plates 220 and 222 may be provided with a counterweight 223 to balance the twister. It will be seen that the wire 218 enters one end of tube 210, passes through slot 226, around pulley 224, back into slot 226 and out the other end of the tube and thence to the inking wheels 56, 58 and 60, not shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. As the rotator 208 is rotated about the axis of the'tube 210, the wire is caused to be rotated about its axis. The rotator 208 will handle larger diameter wire which may be difficult to rotate between rollers such as 140 and'l56. It will be appreciated that while the embodiment referred to in FIGS. 13 and 14 constitutes a closed loop arrangement wherein the wire path crosses itself, there is contemplated an open loop or U- shaped loop arrangement for accomplishing the wire rotating action. In such case, the wire would not cross of travel of the wire along the main path causing the wire to be rotated in oscillatory fashion about its axis along said path.

What is claimed is: 1. Wire marking machine for marking color code bands circumferentially around insulation coated wire at longitudinal intervals therealong comprising:

a wire pay out and a wire take up means; means driving at least the take up means to move wire continuously along a path between the pay of and the take up means; t

an oscillatory wire rotating means for reciprocal rotation of the wire at least360 about its axis essentially devoid of any radial displacement while moving along the path;

at least one inking wheel disposed along the path downstream from said rotating means and provided with ink transfer means adapted'to axially limited peripheral contact with the insulation coating on the wire to apply spaced discrete marks thereto, the movement of said ink transfer means and said wheel being synchronized with the movementof the 'wire; and,

means driving the inking wheel such that the ink transfer means is in synchronized contact with and moves at the same lineal speed as the wire to transfer ink circumferentially thereto at each point of contact along the length thereof wherein the wire rotating means comprises a pair of free wheeling wherein the marking wheel is provided with a plurality of rigid radially extending fingers and an ink pot is positioned therebeneath containing ink into which the fingers dip on rotation of the wheel.

4. The wire marking machine according to claim 1 wherein the-marking wheel is provided with a plurality of peripherally positioned marking devices positioned to contact the wire along the path on rotation thereof.

5. The wire marking machine of claim 1 wherein the free wheeling rollers are mountedfor movement of each roller in substantially equal opposed reciprocal motion along their axes of revolution to rotate the wire about its own axis without substantial radial movement. 

1. Wire marking machine for marking color code bands circumferentially around insulation coated wire at longitudinal intervals therealong comprising: a wire pay out and a wire take up means; means driving at least the take up means to move wire continuously along a path between the pay off and the take up means; an oscillatory wire rotating means for reciprocal rotation of the wire at least 360* about its axis essentially devoid of any radial displacement while moving along the path; at least one inking wheel disposed along the path downstream from said rotating means and provided with ink transfer means adapted to axially limited peripheral contact with the insulation coating on the wire to apply spaced discrete marks thereto, the movement of said ink transfer means and said wheel being synchronized with the movement of the wire; and, means driving the inking wheel such that the ink transfer means is in synchronized contact with and moves at the same lineal speed as the wire to transfer ink circumferentially thereto at each point of contact along the length thereof wherein the wire rotating means comprises a pair of free wheeling pinch rollers bias mounted for rotary contact with each other about parallel axes between which the wire passes along the path.
 2. The wire marking machine of claim 1 wherein the surface of the pinch rollers is provided with a predetermined degree of roughness which is embossed into the surface of the insulation on the wire.
 3. The wire marking machine according to claim 1 wherein the marking wheel is provided with a plurality of rigid radially extending fingers and an ink pot is positioned therebeneath containing ink into which the fingers dip on rotation of the wheel.
 4. The wire marking machine according to claim 1 wherein the marking wheel is provided with a plurality of peripherally positioned marking devices positioned to contact the wire along the path on rotation thereof.
 5. The wire marking machine of claim 1 wherein the free wheeling rollers are mounted for movement of each roller in substantially equal opposed reciprocal motion along their axes of revolution to rotate the wire about its own axis without substantial radial movement. 